Monitoring Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer (Kitui) at Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)

Project Description
In collaboration with other partners, ADRA Kenya is implementing a nature-based program covering Kitui Rural Sub County in Kitui County. This program will scale up nature-positive food systems for enhanced climate change adaptation within a Sub-Afromontane region of the Athi River basin in Kenya.

Job Description (Summary)

• The MEAL Officer manages information, reporting processes, and products to ensure professional, high-quality communication about the project’s programmatic activities and results. 
• The MEAL Officer will also improve information management and data quality and strengthen knowledge sharing and learning at the community level across the organisation and with the international livelihood and development communities using the innovative Community-led Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (ColMEL) methodology. The officer will assume responsibility for full-cycle monitoring and evaluation of the project, developing appropriate methodologies and tools to design assessments.

Specific Tasks
General M&E Tasks:

• Develop, implement, and assess monitoring frameworks for the NATURE Plus project.
• Develop the overall framework for project M&E systems in collaboration with the project manager and other senior project staff, including requirements, reporting, baseline, and evaluation surveys; develop and monitor the project management plan to systematically document performance
• Ensure the alignment of M&E activities with program goals
• Ensure adherence to specific monitoring and reporting requirements for Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB), Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funded projects, including provisions related to the Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation framework, Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) as well as other requirements under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Contribute to the development of the Program implementation Plan (PIP), annual work plans and detailed implementation plans (DIPs) to identify project targets and ensure inclusion of M&E activities
• Develop and maintain indicator tracking tools; as well as databases and tracking tools as needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of project interventions
• Analyse data for accuracy, flag validation or quality issues, and contribute to system fixes, management decision-making and reporting
• Ensure timely development and submission of reports including progress reports including monthly and quarterly indicator performance reports for tracking progress against key indicators as needed
• Conduct field visits for data validation and to monitor the quality and completeness of data sets; coordinate data collection at project sites to monitor program development and ensure timely compilation and reporting of data; capture and document lessons learned and champion the scaling up best practices
• Edit content and presentation of all reporting and deliverables before submission to ensure superior quality and professionalism

Specific ColMEL Tasks:

• Design, initiate, and facilitate productive, collaborative, respectful, and solutions- oriented community-level monitoring evaluation, accountability, and learning systems
• Provide technical leadership and facilitate community monitoring teams in planning and implementing M&E systems and activities, evidence-based program decision-making, and results reporting; provide training as needed.
• Provide support in project communication to ensure that all stakeholders are informed on an ongoing basis about the project’s objectives and activities, overall project progress, and opportunities for involvement in various aspects of the project’s implementation.
• Conduct engagement activities with local, regional, and national stakeholders for policy change and impacts on the ground

Other Tasks:

• Support reviewing and refining the organisational level monitoring evaluation accountability and learning framework, including training project staff on M&E and community-led monitoring evaluation and learning approaches.
• Support the development, design, and writing of proposals and concept notes for related programming information management and reporting
• Perform other duties as deemed relevant to the assignment and advancement of the project objective by the supervisor

Education 

• University degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Demographics, International Development or any social science with additional training in Monitoring and Evaluation is preferred.

Experience 

• At least three (3) years’ experience in project implementation/management, with proven success in designing, implementing, and operating M&E systems from project initiation to close out.
• Extensive experience in strategic planning and performance management, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing M&E and performance monitoring plans
• Experience in planning and managing surveys, developing and refining data collection tools, and with data quality assessments and oversight
• Demonstrated experience in participatory processes and in facilitating dialogue among and between communities, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and government on sensitive matters
• A good understanding of the social-economic and environmental dynamics of the ASAL counties of Kenya, particularly Kitui County